


Maggie's Music Box

by Arianissa



Category: The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: Fanfic contest entry, I don't know how else to tag this, It's My Birthday Too, Might be a kick to the feels?, Year Of Dresden
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27499231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arianissa/pseuds/Arianissa
Summary: My entry for the 'It's My Birthday Too' fanfic contest over on Jim-Butcher.com :)Harry learns that one of his daughter's possessions was, in fact, a gift from a very unexpected source.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	Maggie's Music Box

We had been on our way home, Maggie, Mouse and me, when I saw him. John Marcone, criminal asshat, leaving some office building up ahead of us. He was unaccompanied but I was pretty sure the dark Sedan parked across the road was his. Full of his goons and guns, no doubt. I hoped beyond hope that he'd keep walking. 

Of course, the day had been going too well for him not to notice us. Once he had, he swiftly changed direction to intercept. I slowed down and little Maggie, bless her, picked up on my unease right away. She held my hand tighter than she had been and drifted back so she was half hidden behind me, Mouse keeping pace on her other side. 

"What do you want, Marcone?" 

"Am I not allowed to greet my denizens, Dresden? I thought it would only be polite to say hello and introduce myself to the young lady with you." Sneaky bastard. Playing nice because he knew I couldn't be my usual, charming self with my kid around. 

"Uh-huh. That's totally what this is. Alright then. Marcone, this is my daughter, Maggie. Maggie, this is Baron John Marcone." I smirked at him. "And would you look at that, all introduced. Nice chat, be seeing you around." 

I was ready to leave it at that and push on past Marcone when Maggie did something unexpected. Her little fingers eased their deathgrip on my hand, slowly letting go. I looked down at her but her eyes were on Marcone. 

"Are you really the Baron?" Maggie spoke up shyly, moving out from behind me with careful steps.

"I am." 

Maggie beamed and stepped a little closer to him. I had to fight down every instinct in me not to reach out and pull her back. She still struggled around strangers and this was progress, even if it was Marcone. 

"Charity said that if I met you I had to say thank you very much." I shouldn't have been surprised when he smiled openly at my daughter and knelt down to her level. But hey, knowing someone is pathologically obsessed with keeping children safe and actually seeing them being good with kids first hand are two very different things.

"You are most welcome, Miss Maggie. I trust you liked it?" 

"Of course! It's so pretty! I keep it next to my bed so I can listen to it when…" She stopped to look around like she was about to share a big secret then stage whispered, "When I have nightmares sometimes. But don't tell Daddy. It makes him sad."

Marcone glanced up at me with something like sympathy in his eyes. Or maybe it was the sun glare getting to him. That was more likely. I ignored it, pretended I hadn't heard a thing and spoke up in a dramatic voice. "What are you whispering about? What did he do?"

Maggie giggled and that was balm enough, for now. She turned to me with a happy little face that made my heart melt. 

"My music box, silly! With the stars! Mr Marcone got it for me!"

I met Marcone's eyes again, shocked. "That was from you? I thought Molly had got it for her. Why? When?"

Maggie’s little music box was one of her most precious possessions, deep blue with silver filigree cornering and delicate metal stars across it. Inside, in lieu of a ballerina or dancing princess, there was a silver pentacle with a red gem at its center. It rotated gently, to the sound of Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire. Which was funny when I thought it was from Molls but from Marcone? If my brain was working properly in that moment, I probably would have been in hysterics. That little box though, Maggie wouldn’t go to bed without it.

"Her birthday, the year that you were," he paused, "Indisposed. I thought it appropriate that she have something she could associate with you. As all your possessions had been destroyed, having something bespoke made seemed to be the next best option. That said, the stars inlaid in the lid were made from materials recovered from your lab." 

I was stunned. The best I could come out with was a quiet, "I didn't think anything survived..."

"The remains of a pewter diorama of the city? Ironically, one of the few intact buildings on the piece was your home. We used the metal from that specifically." 

Oh. That was… The symbolism in something like that… I didn't know what to say. That Marcone had done that for Maggie, for my daughter, when he thought I was dead. There went my list of reasons why I couldn't really hate the bastard, getting longer again. 

While I struggled, Marcone stood back up, brushing some road dust from his knees. He looked down at Maggie, smiling again while he held a hand out to her to shake. "I'm afraid I should be off now but it was lovely to finally meet you, Miss Maggie."

Maggie reached back without hesitation and even did a little curtsy afterward. It was adorable. "It was an honour, Mr Baron, sir!"

I didn't get a handshake or a curtsy, just a nod. 

"Dresden." 

But I could play that game. I put on my best shit-eating grin and saluted Marcone.

"Scumbag."

Maggie told me off after but it was totally worth it. Or it was until a few days later when I got a parcel in the post. Now I have a music box of my own with matching stars. Except mine is bright pink, plays some awful, high pitched Disney song and I am allowed, under no circumstances, on pain of death, to remove it from my bedside table. 

Just in case I need it.

**Author's Note:**

> 963 Words, feel the poeticism! XD (Simple things like this amuse me) 
> 
> So this is for the Year Of Dresden though I have a confession; I started on this series when a friend recommended it to me. In February. I may have avidly consumed as much content as I could get my hands on but I have still only been a part of this fandom for 9 months. Here's to those of you who have been here for 2 decades! <3 
> 
> Interested in what the music box might sound like? Have a listen to the Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star vers. of the song :) 
> 
> Thanks for reading, guys! 
> 
> Ari x


End file.
